They’re everywhere and every day – webinars. I should keep track, but I’m guessing that I get invited to or information about upcoming webinars three to five times a day.

I hadn’t been a fan, and I still prefer face-to-face seminars, but it doesn’t matter what I like. It’s clear that webinars are a fact of doing business, and I’ve decided that I should probably add them to my new business.

When I did webinars for Print Buyers International, they were 30 minutes long. I like this length a lot. Sixty minutes is just too long for me to commit to sitting still, watching a slideshow and listening to one or multiple speakers from the confines of my office. Besides, I get distracted. Work calls. Emails beckon. There’s always a project or two in the work.

Most of the webinars I’ve joined this year have involved slideshows. But there was one nifty webinar I attended in March that I much preferred – not only was it just 30 minutes, but it only had a cover slide or two. That’s it! It was designed to be an open discussion for the attendees. They could ask questions “live” and make comments as well, just by using the “Raise your hand” function on the webinar technology.

notes, since this webinar was on marketing in the printing industry (my sweet spot).

That webinar made all the difference. I will model my own on this format and see what the audience thinks: open forum, one topic to chew on, everyone can contribute.

What do you think? Have you attended such a webinar, with no slides to tie you to your monitor? I’m interested in the opinions of attendees like me – how often do you “do” webinars? What’s the perfect length? Do they really grab your full attention?

Comments (2)

Margie, Congratulations on your new business! I’ve enjoyed Print Tips for years and I look forward to reading more of Margie on Marketing.

I used to attend several webinars each month. As I read your webinars blog post, I realized that I rarely use them now. They became too long, too busy with shared PowerPoint slides, and when I did make it to the end of the presentation, there was no time left for questions. Sometimes the Q&As are the best part of the presentation.

I think 30 minutes is a good length. That allows time to introduce yourself, make your point, answer questions, and provide contact information for follow-ups. Anything longer than that and you risk loosing attendees to all the other distractions of the office.

Margie Dana

April 29, 2013 at 4:07 pm

Thanks so MUCH for your kind words! I am more excited than you can imagine, and my creative juices for content truly “overflow-eth.” I’m with you on the webinar front: I find I sign up, then don’t attend. I will focus on 30-minute model when I get down to offering them. And I am with you on the Q and A comments, too.